Abstract

Lumbar transforaminal epidural injections are commonly utilized to treat radicular pain due to intervertebral disc herniation.This study aims to determine if there was a major difference in effectiveness between particulate and nonparticulate corticosteroids for acute radicular pain due to lumbar disc herniation.A multicenter, double blind, prospective, randomized trial on 78 consecutive subjects with acute uni-level disc herniation resulting in unilateral radicular pain. All subjects received a single level transforaminal epidural steroid injection with either dexamethasone or triamcinolone. Repeat injections were allowed as determined by the blinded physician and subjects. Primary outcomes included: number of injections received, surgical rates, and categorical pain scores at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months. Secondary outcomes included mean Oswestry Disability Index.Both triamcinolone and dexamethasone resulted in statically significant improvements in pain and function at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months, without clear differences between groups. The surgical rates were comparable with 14.6% of the dexamethasone group and 18.9% of the triamcinolone group receiving surgery. There was a statistically significant difference in the number of injections received, with 17.1% of the dexamethasone group receiving three injections vs only 2.7% of the triamcinolone group.Transforaminal epidural corticosteroid injections are an effective treatment for acute radicular pain due to disc herniation, and frequently only require 1 or 2 injections for symptomatic relief. Dexamethasone appears to possess reasonably similar effectiveness when compared with triamcinolone. However, the dexamethasone group received slightly more injections than the triamcinolone group to achieve the same outcomes.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a 2-day course teaching the introductory skills and concepts of lumbar spine procedures to physiatry residents.This is a 3-yr prospective study of a 2-day musculoskeletal course teaching the introductory skills and concepts of lumbar spinal procedures to the residents at a large academic physical medicine and rehabilitation program. The residents attending the course took multiple-choice pretests and posttests as well as participated in a procedural skills competency demonstration.Forty-two residents participated. The results were stratified according to the level of training and repetition of the material and revealed gains of medical knowledge at each level of residency training (P < 0.001). The postgraduate year 2 residents seemed to have the greatest overall improvement (P = 0.04). Half of the residents scored lower than 65% on the pretest, and these residents ultimately had the largest posttest gains. Forty (95.2%) residents achieved a grade of pass in the skills-based test. The residents felt that the course was valuable or extremely valuable.The comprehensive 2-day course teaching the skills and concepts of spinal interventions for physiatry residents enhances medical knowledge as an introduction to interventional spine care. Those who benefited the most were the residents who had the greatest deficit of medical knowledge on this topic before the course. This course curriculum does not replace fellowship training or closely monitored mentorship in the performance of spinal procedures.

Abstract

Spinal stenosis is defined as neurogenic claudication due to narrowing of the spinal canal lumen diameter. As the disease progresses, ambulation and gait may be impaired. Self-report measures are routinely used in the clinical setting to capture data related to lumbar pain symptoms, function and perceived disability. The associations between self-report measures and objective measures of physical function in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis are not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between self-reported assessments of function with objective biomechanical measures of function.25 subjects were enrolled in this study. Subjects completed self-report questionnaires and biomechanical assessments of gait analysis, lumbar 3D ROM and lumbar proprioception. Correlations were determined between self-report measures and biomechanical data.The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was strongly correlated with stride length and gait velocity and weakly correlated with base of support. ODI was also weakly correlated with left lateral bending proprioception but not right lateral bending. The SF12 was not significantly correlated with any of the biomechanical measurements. Pain scores were weakly correlated with velocity, and base of support, and had no correlation any of the other biomechanical measures.There is a strong correlation between gait parameters and functional disability as measured with the ODI. Quantified gait analysis can be a useful tool to evaluate patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and to assess the outcomes of treatments on this group of patients.

It is the most common form of arthritis and the leading cause of disability in older persons, affecting an estimated 27 million adults in the United States alone. Introduction.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationKennedy, D. J., Fredericson, M.2012; 4 (5): S1-2

The Role of Core Stabilization in Lumbosacral RadiculopathyPHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION CLINICS OF NORTH AMERICAKennedy, D. J., Noh, M. Y.2011; 22 (1): 91-?

Abstract

Lumbosacral radiculopathy is relatively common, and most cases resolve with appropriate conservative management. Along with pain control, the mainstay of treatment is a comprehensive rehabilitation program to correct for biomechanical factors that adversely affect spinal stability and predispose the patient to recurrent pain. Developing an appropriate treatment plan depends on thorough understanding of the structures providing core stability and the exercises to correct identifiable deficits. A comprehensive rehabilitation program includes postural training, muscle reactivation, correction of flexibility and strength deficits, and subsequent progression to functional exercises. This article reviews the current concepts regarding core stability and rehabilitation in lumbosacral radiculopathy.

Abstract

Pharmaceutical treatments for radiculopathy include opioid, antiinflammatory (steroidal and nonsteroidal), neuromodulating, topical, and adjuvant treatments. These medications act locally, peripherally, or centrally on the neural axis. This article reviews the history of medication use for radiculopathy and the available literature along with the breadth of current treatment and indications.

Abstract

The sacroiliac joint and the lumbar zygapophysial joints are both known pain generators with demonstrated pain-referral patterns. They are both amenable to image-guided intraarticular injection of corticosteroids, a procedure that is commonly performed for pain. The literature on the efficacy of intraarticular corticosteroid injections for these joints is currently limited. This article covers the diagnostic dilemmas associated with these joints, the utility of anesthetic blocks, and the literature on the efficacy of intraarticular corticosteroid injections.

Abstract

Reports of serious complications from cervical transforaminal epidural corticosteroid injections often consider accidental intra-arterial injection the most likely mechanism of injury. As a result, many physicians have instituted methods to prevent intravascular injections. Routine use of the anesthetic test dose is one such method. The utility of the anesthetic test dose in this function has not been characterized in the current literature.The aim of this study was to determine the utility of injecting an anesthetic test dose before cervical transforaminal epidural corticosteroid injection and estimate the rate of false-negative intravascular contrast injection using live fluoroscopy and digital subtraction angiography (DSA).Two-center retrospective study.A consecutive cohort of men and women, ages of 23 to 83, who underwent cervical transforaminal epidural injection and received the anesthetic test dose after contrast injection was negative for vascular uptake, observed using live fluoroscopy or DSA.Response to the anesthetic test dose was documented in each procedure note and recorded as either positive or negative.Records of three physiatrists at two academic spine centers (Center A and Center B) were reviewed to identify all patients who received a cervical transforaminal epidural injection during the preceding 5 years, resulting in a cohort of consecutively treated patients at each center. Each patient record was reviewed for demographics, indication for injection, procedure level and side, needle gauge, use of DSA, volume and type of anesthetic test dose used, and result of test dose injection. The test dose was considered positive if the following occurred: agitation or other sudden central nervous system change; gross motor deficits and/or paresthesias in the trunk, legs, or contralateral arm; systemic symptoms of anesthetic toxicity including cardiac arrhythmia, perioral numbness, metallic taste, dizziness, and/or ringing in the ear. For analysis, injections were separated into groups to compare results at Center A to Center B and to compare injections that used DSA to those that did not. The incidence of a positive response was calculated as a percentage from the total number of injections in the group. Differences between groups were analyzed for statistical significance using the Fisher exact test.Six hundred seventy-eight injections were included. Of these, 349 were performed at Center A with test doses given after contrast injection under live fluoroscopy. The remaining 329 were performed at Center B, 183 also using live fluoroscopy, and 146 using DSA. The overall incidence of a positive anesthetic test dose was 0.59% (4/678). There was no significant difference between the incidence at each of the two centers (0.86% [3/349] vs. 0.30% [1/329]; p=.63). The overall incidence after live fluoroscopy was 0.75% (4/532) and after DSA was 0% (0/146), but this difference was not statistically significant (p=.58). Positive symptoms elicited by test dose administration included midneck and contralateral arm pain, metallic taste, dizziness, tachycardia, full body paresthesias, auditory changes, slurred speech, and motor ataxia. In all four cases with a positive response, the procedure was immediately terminated, symptoms resolved, and no lasting complications were observed.The routine use of an anesthetic test dose appears to be safe and capable of detecting potentially dangerous intravascular injections undetected by conventional techniques. Positive responses occur in a small portion of those who receive the test dose injection. Further studies are required to determine the optimal dose and concentration of anesthetic to be used and the time required for observation after test dose administration.

Abstract

To present two case reports of a rare but devastating injury after image-guided, lumbar transforaminal injection of steroids, and to explore features in common with previously reported cases.Image (fluoroscopic and computed tomography [CT])-guided, lumbar transforaminal injections of corticosteroids have been adopted as a treatment for radicular pain. Complications associated with these procedures are rare, but can be severe.An 83-year-old woman underwent a fluoroscopically guided, left L3-L4, transforaminal injection of betamethasone (Celestone Soluspan). A 79-year-old man underwent a CT-guided, right L3-L4, transforaminal injection of methylprednisolone (DepoMedrol). Both patients developed bilateral lower extremity paralysis, with neurogenic bowel and bladder, immediately after the procedures. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were consistent with spinal cord infarction. There was no evidence of intraspinal mass or hematoma.These cases consolidate a pattern emerging in the literature. Distal cord and conus injury can occur following transforaminal injections at lumbar levels, whether injection is on the left or right. This conforms with the probability of radicular-medullary arteries forming an arteria radicularis magna at lumbar levels. All cases used particulate corticosteroids, which promotes embolization in a radicular artery as the likely mechanism of injury. The risk of this complication can be reduced, and potentially eliminated, by the utilization of particulate free steroids, testing for intra-arterial injection with digital subtraction angiography, and a preliminary injection of local anesthetic.

Abstract

Nontraumatic shoulder pain in the adult overhead athlete is a common problem. The exact biomechanical adaptations that predispose the overhead athlete to injury can be multifactorial in nature, including range of motion deficits, muscular imbalances, and scapular dyskinesis. It is imperative that the rehabilitation professional not only correctly identify and treat the direct cause of the pain, but also initiate a rehabilitation program aimed at improvement of the underlying biomechanical deficits that predispose the overhead athlete to shoulder injury. This only can be accomplished through a better understanding of the most common biomechanical deficits that the overhead athlete develops and how to treat them. This article focuses primarily upon shoulder training in the adult baseball pitcher as a classic example of an overhead athlete.

Abstract

Athletic injuries to the lumbar spine are relatively common, depending upon the specific sport. With proper management, the majority of injuries resolve quickly and allow for rapid return to sport. However, some of these injuries occur because of improper mechanics that adversely affect the core stability of the spine, or conversely these injuries cause instability of the spine through disruption of the spinal support mechanisms. Development of an appropriate treatment plan depends on a thorough understanding of the structures providing core stability and the exercises to correct identifiable deficits. A comprehensive rehabilitation program should include correction of flexibility and strength deficits, with subsequent progression to functional and sports-specific exercises. The purpose of this paper is to review current concepts regarding core stability and rehabilitation in the athlete.